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The Law of Rising Prices & Diminishing Returns
Being expensive is no guarantee of deliciousness

LIVE WINE LINK
www.winefind.ca
(CLICK ON THE NAME - All listings are automatically linked to the LCBO database)
If there is a product that interests you, just click on the name below and you will instantaneously connected with the LCBO database. The product will appear in blue and all you have to do is click on the name again and then the next screen will provide details along with the store search. Just click on store search. The number of bottles in each store is updated nightly. You should call the store first to see if stock still remains (each store phone number is listed).

It is a misconception that all it takes is a fat wallet stuffed with cash to track down the tastiest of wines. Unfortunately, being expensive is no guarantee of deliciousness! Truth is; great wines often take a long time to evolve - many are ugly ducklings in their youth. One might also add the law of diminishing returns – doubling the price doesn’t double the pleasure.

Naturally expectations rise as prices go up. For big well-known producers, there is no going back: a price reduction is taken as an admission that something is amiss. It is too easy for wine writers to become complicit and heap compliments on some pricey labels – shades of the Emperor’s New Clothes.

Let’s take today’s release of Giuseppe Quintarelli 1996 Valpolicella Classico Superiore (986117) $79.95, which is a solid, well-made effort. The rather peppery, still youthful, very extracty, stewed plum, cherry, prune and sandalwood flavours call out for additional aging and bold food pairing. Like Gaja and Antinori, Quintarelli is yet another wine for collectors and “a must have” for mainstream restaurants.

The question is: should you buy it? The answer depends on whether you have the cash, like the style and have patience. Certainly, the 200 cases will disappear quickly. But consider this; on February 9, 2002, 550 cases of 1994 edition surfaced at $36.95. By January 5, 2003, the 1995 made its debut at $59.95. And finally, today, 1996 is fetching $79.95. Obviously a great red for investors, but perhaps not so great for drinkers. This is especially true of Quintarelli’s companion piece – the rather astringent, very bitter 1996 Rosso Ca’ del Merlo (958595) an IGT Veneto priced at $79.95, which might best be avoided.

Keep in mind that over the past 4 years some five-dozen Valpolicella have surfaced in Vintages. Ironically, a small quantity of one of my favourites from last January is still on LCBO shelves – two stores have in excess of 100 bottles. Why? Perhaps because it was made by a large grower coop instead of a well-known icon! Nevertheless, Cantina Valpantena 1998 Amarone della Valpolicella Falasco (922161) at $48.95 is infinitely more enjoyable with its harmonious, sweetish, ripe, smoke-tinged, accessible, juicy, ripe plum flavours and lingering, chocolaty finish.

Getting back to reality, today’s best value Vintage red is José Maria da Fonseca 2001 Primum Tinto (694026) at a mere $12.95. It is a Vinho Regional Terras do Sado from just southeast of Lisbon and has nothing to do with the Fonseca Port house. This complex, mouth-filling blend of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca has a very deep intense purple colour and an attractive, ripe, black cherry purée bouquet. The dry, sandalwood-tinged, ripe Damson plum purée flavours come shining through. Move quickly, as only 50 cases are being released today.

Of the diverse, somewhat disappointing selection of 17 Pinot Noir (France, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and California), the best value is the straightforward Vincent Girardin 2002 Cuvée Saint-Vincent Bourgogne Pinot Noir (727966) at $19.95. It has a fine, ripe, red cherry nose and very dry, lively, ripe red cherry flavours with a tangy, cranberry finish. Drink up – it’s at its peak.

Moving on to whites, fans of oak will be jumping up and down when they taste this Spanish bargain. Marqués de Cáceres 2002 Antea Gran Vino Blanco’ (518985) at only $14.95 is a remarkable Rioja blend of Viura and Malvasia fermented on its lees in new French oak. The nose is intense, honeyed, spicy and cedar-tinged with lots of ripe pear fruit. On the palate it is well structured with toasty, rich, ripe pear purée flavours and a fine lingering finish.

If you are looking for fruit, check out Rosemount 2002 “Show Reserve” Semillon (951228) at $25.95 from Australia’s Hunter Valley in New South Wales. It has a spicy, baked apricot-lemon purée nose and dry, medium-full bodied, tangy, melon-lime flavours with a lingering finish. Drink today or lay it away for a few years.

A release highlight is a sweetie from California – one of those “ice box” wines. Thankfully Randall Grahm has avoided controversy by simply calling his half bottle Bonny Doon 2003 Muscat Vin de Glaciere (950469) and is very well priced at $21.95. It has lovely, sweet, honeyed, very juicy Muscat aromas and delicious, viscous, sweet but balanced, honeyed, ripe Muscat flavours that go on and on. It is made from grapes picked at “normal” sugar levels and are then frozen to roughly -12° F and subsequently pressed while frozen leaving 18.5% residual sugar.

Coming up on Monday, October 25th there is a Sherry Seminar at the Hart House (University of Toronto) from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Call Maria Arana at 416-967-0488 for details or click here

2001-2002-2003-2004 Tasting Note Database
Our tasting note database from December 31, 2000 to September 2004, covers every Vintages release product for the past 44 months. There are more than 7,000 notes in the database data. Just enter the name of the product, supplier name or CSPC number. Or you can search by type of wine, country of origin, even wine agent! Nothing could be easier. Also you can get information on the agent by clicking on the agent’s name, as well as current LCBO store inventory by clicking on "Check LCBO Availability", which will automatically tell you the number of bottles at LCBO as of last night.

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** For All Visitors **
Vintages October 2004 Release
To see the complete list of upcoming 287 products click here (sorted by date of release). It includes the number of cases, which wines were presented by the LCBO, our agent ID for every product,
as well as, the 58 “In Store Discoveries” for October.
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Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2004
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Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net